And when evening had fallen, since it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph, the honorable member of the Council, from Arimathea, who was also himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came; and gathering courage, he went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate marveled that He had already died, and calling to him the centurion, he questioned him whether He had been dead long. And when he found out from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph purchased a piece of fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the fine linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which was hewn out of rock and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. And Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.
Mark 15:42-47
Jesus had suffered terribly on the cross for six hours as He carried out His redemptive work, rejected by the very ones He had come to save. Yet in His death, His situation was changed to an honourable one. Joseph of Arimathea, a well-known man (as indicated by the definite article in verse 43), together with Nicodemus (see John 3:1 and 19:39), retrieved His body, and prepared it for a burial of the highest human standard, in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9.
God created the old creation within six days, and rested on the seventh day. Now, in the newly-hewn tomb, Jesus rested from His labours, enjoying His Sabbath, and waiting for the time to rise from the dead.
Jesus accomplished full redemption within six days, and rested on the seventh
